Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Restoration of the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, Yosemite National Park, Madera, and Mariposa Counties, CA, 16294-16295 [2013-05820]

Download as PDF 16294 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 50 / Thursday, March 14, 2013 / Notices Bureau of Land Management Dated: March 8, 2013. Dominica Van Koten, Chief Cadastral Surveyor. [LLES956000–L14100000–BX0000] [FR Doc. 2013–05927 Filed 3–13–13; 8:45 am] DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BILLING CODE 4310–GJ–P Eastern States: Filing of Plat of Survey Bureau of Land Management, Interior. ACTION: Notice. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will file the plat of survey of the lands described below in the BLM-Eastern States office in Springfield, Virginia, 30 calendar days from the date of publication in the Federal Register. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bureau of Land Management-Eastern States, 7450 Boston Boulevard, Springfield, Virginia 22153. Attn: Cadastral Survey. Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339 during normal business hours. The FIRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or question. You will receive a reply during normal business hours. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The survey was requested by the Eastern States Jackson Field Office of the Bureau of Land Management. The lands surveyed are: [NPS–PWR–PWRO–11650; PX.DYOSE0023.00.1] AGENCY: SUMMARY: tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Tallahassee Meridian, Florida T. 16 and 17 S., R. 34 E. The supplemental plat identifies an unlotted parcel of land in the NW 1⁄4 of Section 26 of Township 6 South, Range 15 East, of the Tallahassee Meridian, in the State of Florida, as shown on the original plat dated February 1827, and was accepted March 18, 2009. This supplemental plat of sections 32 and 33, Township 16 South, Range 34 East and section 5, Township 17 South, Range 34 East, Tallahassee Meridian, Florida, is made for the purpose of establishing descriptions of the subdivisions thereof, with areas by which the public lands may be disposed. We will place a copy of the plat we described in the open files. It will be available to the public as a matter of information. If BLM receives a protest against the survey, as shown on the plat, prior to the date of the official filing, we will stay the filing pending our consideration of the protest. We will not officially file the plat until the day after we have accepted or dismissed all protests and they have become final, including decisions on appeals. VerDate Mar<15>2010 16:51 Mar 13, 2013 Jkt 229001 National Park Service Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Restoration of the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, Yosemite National Park, Madera, and Mariposa Counties, CA National Park Service, Interior. Notice of availability. AGENCY: ACTION: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C)) and consistent with the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 470 et seq.), the National Park Service has prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed restoration of the Mariposa Grove of giant sequoias in Yosemite National Park. This Draft EIS presents three comprehensive design alternatives for restoring natural conditions in the Mariposa Grove as well as improving visitor experience and access within the Grove and at the nearby South Entrance to the park. The National Park Service is inviting public review of the document to solicit feedback on the proposed alternatives and to hear ideas and concerns for consideration in the Final EIS. DATES: All written comments must be postmarked or transmitted not later 60 days from the date of publication in the Federal Register of the Environmental Protection Agency’s notification of availability of the Draft EIS. Upon confirmation of this date, announcements will be provided on the project Web site (https://www.nps.gov/ yose/parkmgmt/mgrove.htm) and via local and regional press media. Public meetings will be held during the review period (exact date, location, and times to be announced; visit the park’s web pages for up-to-date information). ADDRESSES: Written comments may be submitted electronically to https:// parkplanning.nps.gov/mariposagrove or by mail to Superintendent, Attn: Mariposa Grove DEIS, PO Box 577, Yosemite, CA 95389. Comments may also be submitted in person during business hours to the Superintendent’s Office in the Valley Administration Building or the Office of Environmental SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00052 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Planning and Compliance at 5083 Foresta Road, El Portal, CA. Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment—including your personal identifying information—may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Comprehensive actions are needed to ensure that the Mariposa Grove continues to thrive and provide inspiration and enjoyment for future generations. The primary goals of this project are to restore degraded habitat and natural processes critical to the long-term health of the Grove and improve the overall visitor experience. The Draft EIS presents environmental analysis of three action alternatives as well as the No Action Alternative, Alternative 1, which serves as a baseline from which effects of the action alternatives can be compared. To address the considerable issues facing the Grove and its visitors, and consistent with goals outlined in the park’s General Management Plan for the Mariposa Grove and South Entrance areas, the National Park Service has developed three design alternatives that include major actions to restore the Grove and improve visitor experience. Alternative 2 (South Entrance Hub) is identified as the agency-preferred alternative. To allow for comprehensive restoration of wetlands, soundscape, and giant sequoia habitat, this alternative would relocate public parking from the lower portion of the Grove to the park’s South Entrance and remove commercial tram operations. A South Entrance parking and visitor information hub would become the primary departure point for visitors using the park shuttle to the Grove. An abandoned road segment would be reopened to allow for more extensive restoration of wetlands and sequoia habitat in the lower portion of the Grove. Alternative 3 (Grizzly Giant Hub) would relocate public parking and visitor information to the vicinity of the Grizzly Giant. This alternative would construct a bypass road to the vicinity of the Grizzly Giant, which would allow for removal of commercial tram and shuttle operations within the Grove and provide for comprehensive restoration of wetlands and giant sequoia habitat. Alternative 4 (South Entrance Hub with Modified Commercial Tram) would E:\FR\FM\14MRN1.SGM 14MRN1 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 50 / Thursday, March 14, 2013 / Notices relocate the commercial tram staging and operations to the South Entrance area and reduce the route and hours of operation to enhance sequoia habitat and improve the soundscape and overall visitor experience within the Grove. The majority of public parking would be relocated to the South Entrance, the primary departure point for visitors using the park shuttle to the Grove. Numerous other rehabilitation and restoration actions, such as improvement of hydrologic flow, project-specific prescribed fire and hazardous fuel reduction treatments, soil decompaction, and improvement of visitor orientation and interpretation would be components of all of the action alternatives to varying degrees. For further information, please contact the Office of Environmental Planning and Compliance, at (209) 379– 1002 to speak with an individual, or (209) 379–1365 to leave a voicemail with your name, call-back number, and/ or address. Decision Process: All comments received on the Draft EIS will be duly considered in preparing the Final EIS. The Final EIS is expected to be available in late Fall 2013. A Record of Decision would be prepared not sooner than 30 days after release of the Final EIS. Because this is a delegated EIS, the official responsible for approving the final plan is the Regional Director, Pacific West Region, National Park Service; subsequently the official responsible for implementation of the approved plan for restoration of the Mariposa Grove is the Superintendent, Yosemite National Park. Dated: January 17, 2013. Christine S. Lehnertz, Regional Director, Pacific West Region. [FR Doc. 2013–05820 Filed 3–13–13; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4312–FF–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR National Park Service [NPS–WASO–NAGPRA–12455; PCU00RP14.R50000–PPWOCRADN0] Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Review Committee: Meeting National Park Service, Interior. Amended Notice. AGENCY: tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES ACTION: Notice is hereby given in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. Appendix (1988), of a meeting of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Review Committee (Review Committee). The Review Committee SUMMARY: VerDate Mar<15>2010 16:51 Mar 13, 2013 Jkt 229001 meeting previously noticed in the Federal Register (77 FR 53228–53229, August 31, 2012), to occur on May 22– 23, 2013, in the History Colorado Center of the History Colorado Museum, Denver Colorado, will now occur only on May 22, 2013, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. EDT. This meeting will be telephonic and open to the public. The Review Committee will meet on May 22, 2013. The agenda and materials for this meeting will be posted on or before April 22, 2013. Presentation requests must be received by March 22, 2013. These are the same dates that appeared in the notice of meeting of August 31, 2012. DATES: Electronic submissions are to be sent to: Sherry_Hutt@nps.gov. Mailed submissions are to be sent to: Designated Federal Officer, NAGPRA Review Committee, National Park Service, National NAGPRA Program, 1201 Eye Street NW., 8th Floor (2253), Washington, DC 20005. ADDRESSES: Notice is hereby given in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. Appendix (1988), of a meeting of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Review Committee (Review Committee). The Review Committee was established in Section 8 of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990 (NAGPRA), 25 U.S.C. 3006. The Review Committee meeting previously noticed in the Federal Register (77 FR 53228– 53229, August 31, 2012), to occur on May 22–23, 2013, in the History Colorado Center of the History Colorado Museum, Denver Colorado, will now occur only on May 22, 2013, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. EDT. This meeting will be telephonic and open to the public. The agenda for this meeting will include the appointment of the subcommittee to draft the Review Committee’s Report to the Congress for 2013, and discussion of the scope of the Report; the development by the Review Committee of an agreed upon list of nominees to the Secretary of the Interior for the at-large member of the Review Committee; and National NAGPRA Program reports. In addition, the agenda may include requests to the Review Committee for a recommendation to the Secretary of the Interior, as required by law, in order to effect the agreed-upon disposition of Native American human remains determined to be culturally unidentifiable; presentations by Indian tribes, Native Hawaiian organizations, museums, Federal agencies, and the public. The agenda and materials for this meeting will be posted on or before SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: PO 00000 Frm 00053 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 16295 April 22, 2013, at https://www.nps.gov/ nagpra. The Review Committee is soliciting public comment presentations by Indian tribes, Native Hawaiian organizations, museums, and Federal agencies on the following two topics: (1) the progress made, and any barriers encountered, in implementing NAGPRA and (2) the outcomes of dispute resolution facilitated by the Review Committee pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3006(c)(4). The Review Committee also will consider other public comment presentations by Indian tribes, Native Hawaiian organizations, museums, Federal agencies, and the public. Oral presentation time may be limited as necessary. Written comments may be submitted in lieu of oral presentation. A public comment presentation request must, at minimum, include an abstract of the presentation and contact information for the presenter(s). Requests must be received by the Designated Federal Official by March 22, 2013. Those who desire to register for the meeting should contact NAGPRA@rap.midco.net, by May 17, 2013, for registration information. Registrants will be provided the telephone access number for the meeting. Those making disposition requests and/or public comment presentations, must register for the meeting and also provide the presentation information to the Designated Federal Official by the dates as indicated above. A transcript and minutes of the meeting will also appear on the National NAGPRA Program Web site: https://www.nps.gov/nagpra. Submissions may be made in one of three ways: 1. Electronically, as an attachment to a message (preferred for submissions of 10 pages or less). Electronic submissions are to be sent to: Sherry_Hutt@nps.gov. 2. By mail, on a single compact disc (preferred for submissions of more than 10 pages). Mailed submissions are to be sent to: Designated Federal Officer, NAGPRA Review Committee, National Park Service, National NAGPRA Program, 1201 Eye Street NW., 8th Floor (2253), Washington, DC 20005. 3. By mail, in hard copy. Such items are subject to posting on the National NAGPRA Program Web site prior to the meeting. Items submitted at the meeting are subject to posting after the meeting. Information about NAGPRA, the Review Committee, and Review Committee meetings is available on the National NAGPRA Program Web site, at https://www.nps.gov/nagpra. For the Review Committee’s meeting E:\FR\FM\14MRN1.SGM 14MRN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 50 (Thursday, March 14, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16294-16295]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-05820]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-PWR-PWRO-11650; PX.DYOSE0023.00.1]


Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Restoration of the 
Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, Yosemite National Park, Madera, and 
Mariposa Counties, CA

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 
1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C)) and consistent with the National Historic 
Preservation Act (NHPA) of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 470 et seq.), the National 
Park Service has prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 
for the proposed restoration of the Mariposa Grove of giant sequoias in 
Yosemite National Park. This Draft EIS presents three comprehensive 
design alternatives for restoring natural conditions in the Mariposa 
Grove as well as improving visitor experience and access within the 
Grove and at the nearby South Entrance to the park. The National Park 
Service is inviting public review of the document to solicit feedback 
on the proposed alternatives and to hear ideas and concerns for 
consideration in the Final EIS.

DATES: All written comments must be postmarked or transmitted not later 
60 days from the date of publication in the Federal Register of the 
Environmental Protection Agency's notification of availability of the 
Draft EIS. Upon confirmation of this date, announcements will be 
provided on the project Web site (https://www.nps.gov/yose/parkmgmt/mgrove.htm) and via local and regional press media. Public meetings 
will be held during the review period (exact date, location, and times 
to be announced; visit the park's web pages for up-to-date 
information).

ADDRESSES: Written comments may be submitted electronically to https://parkplanning.nps.gov/mariposagrove or by mail to Superintendent, Attn: 
Mariposa Grove DEIS, PO Box 577, Yosemite, CA 95389. Comments may also 
be submitted in person during business hours to the Superintendent's 
Office in the Valley Administration Building or the Office of 
Environmental Planning and Compliance at 5083 Foresta Road, El Portal, 
CA.
    Before including your address, phone number, email address, or 
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be 
aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying 
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can 
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying 
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be 
able to do so.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Comprehensive actions are needed to ensure 
that the Mariposa Grove continues to thrive and provide inspiration and 
enjoyment for future generations. The primary goals of this project are 
to restore degraded habitat and natural processes critical to the long-
term health of the Grove and improve the overall visitor experience. 
The Draft EIS presents environmental analysis of three action 
alternatives as well as the No Action Alternative, Alternative 1, which 
serves as a baseline from which effects of the action alternatives can 
be compared. To address the considerable issues facing the Grove and 
its visitors, and consistent with goals outlined in the park's General 
Management Plan for the Mariposa Grove and South Entrance areas, the 
National Park Service has developed three design alternatives that 
include major actions to restore the Grove and improve visitor 
experience. Alternative 2 (South Entrance Hub) is identified as the 
agency-preferred alternative. To allow for comprehensive restoration of 
wetlands, soundscape, and giant sequoia habitat, this alternative would 
relocate public parking from the lower portion of the Grove to the 
park's South Entrance and remove commercial tram operations. A South 
Entrance parking and visitor information hub would become the primary 
departure point for visitors using the park shuttle to the Grove. An 
abandoned road segment would be reopened to allow for more extensive 
restoration of wetlands and sequoia habitat in the lower portion of the 
Grove. Alternative 3 (Grizzly Giant Hub) would relocate public parking 
and visitor information to the vicinity of the Grizzly Giant. This 
alternative would construct a bypass road to the vicinity of the 
Grizzly Giant, which would allow for removal of commercial tram and 
shuttle operations within the Grove and provide for comprehensive 
restoration of wetlands and giant sequoia habitat. Alternative 4 (South 
Entrance Hub with Modified Commercial Tram) would

[[Page 16295]]

relocate the commercial tram staging and operations to the South 
Entrance area and reduce the route and hours of operation to enhance 
sequoia habitat and improve the soundscape and overall visitor 
experience within the Grove. The majority of public parking would be 
relocated to the South Entrance, the primary departure point for 
visitors using the park shuttle to the Grove. Numerous other 
rehabilitation and restoration actions, such as improvement of 
hydrologic flow, project-specific prescribed fire and hazardous fuel 
reduction treatments, soil decompaction, and improvement of visitor 
orientation and interpretation would be components of all of the action 
alternatives to varying degrees.
    For further information, please contact the Office of Environmental 
Planning and Compliance, at (209) 379-1002 to speak with an individual, 
or (209) 379-1365 to leave a voicemail with your name, call-back 
number, and/or address.
    Decision Process: All comments received on the Draft EIS will be 
duly considered in preparing the Final EIS. The Final EIS is expected 
to be available in late Fall 2013. A Record of Decision would be 
prepared not sooner than 30 days after release of the Final EIS. 
Because this is a delegated EIS, the official responsible for approving 
the final plan is the Regional Director, Pacific West Region, National 
Park Service; subsequently the official responsible for implementation 
of the approved plan for restoration of the Mariposa Grove is the 
Superintendent, Yosemite National Park.

    Dated: January 17, 2013.
Christine S. Lehnertz,
Regional Director, Pacific West Region.
[FR Doc. 2013-05820 Filed 3-13-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-FF-P
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